No. 10/1/2019-St. Th. ‘Government of India Ministry of Power Nirman Bhawan, ’F Wing New Delhi dated 03.05.2022 Sub- Extension sought In timelines for Installation of Flue Gas De- sulphurisation (FGD) in Thermal Power Plants - regarding. The undersigned is directed to refer to Ministry of Power letter No. 10/1/2019-St. Th. (part-II) dated 02.01.2021 (copy enclosed) forwarding therewith a copy of CEA’s report/paper recommending for Plant Location Specific Emission standards and reviewing the new emission norms in terms of graded priority of pollutants and prioritizing areas for installation of additional pollution control equipment by thermal power plants in the country. 2. CEA has also submitted a review of MoEF&CC Notification dated 31.03.2021 vide letter dated 24 June2021 (copy enclosed). CEA has ‘Suggested the following: |. There should be longer duration plan (up ta 2035) for adopting the new emission norms (2015), especially for power plants falling under category C of the MoEF&CC Notification. fi, A Task Force may be constituted comprising representative of MoP, MOEF&CC, NITI Aayog, CEA, CPCB, Generating Utilities/ Manufacturers/Vendors for smooth implementation of new environment norms considering Phased Manufacturing Program (PMP) of FGD equipment under Aatma Nirbhar Bharat. fil, To study the SO2 - reduction against CO2 increase in flue gas emission by FGD system. Accordingly exemption may be given ta few units where S02 level in ambient air Is very less compared to permissible limit. 3. It has also been informed by CEA that as per vendors, construction time of wet lime based FGD is about 36 - 40 months. However, in respect of Orders placed by central power utility as early as in 2018 for 26 FGD units for a total capacity of 15 GW; i had taken a time period, on anaverage of more than 40 months, and some units have taken 47 months for completion. 4, Due to huge demand for FGO equipments, there is an issue of manufacturing capacity of FGD by vendors/ manufacturers in the country, As there is a huge gap in demand and supply, prices quoted by the bidders for FGO equipments are escalating exorbitantly and sometimes rigged. CEA has informed that the project cost for wet lime based FGD technology was Rs. 0.39 crore per MW initially, At present it had reached nearly Rs. 1.14 crore per MW, which is 2.9 times of initial cost, in a short span of time, As the same is allowed to pass through under the ‘Change in Law’ by the regulator, there will be an increase in tariff which Is to be borne by the consumers. 5. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire process of planning, tendering and implementing the FGD has been badly affected. The utilities are facing fund constraints and the lenders response has not been encouraging mainly due to poor financial conditions of the Discoms leading to poor payment position to GENCOs. The recent geo-political conditions have affected the import of certain components of FGD which are not manufactured in India viz., absorber linings, borosilicates which were being imported from countries sharing land borders with India. This has also led ta disruption in supply. G. It Is advised that additional time of two years be provided to the Thermal Power Plants. over and above the timelines given in the MoEFRCC Notification dated 31.03.2021, for installation of FGD. 7. This issues with the approval of Hon'ble Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy. Enclosed: as stated. (Govind Kumar) Under Secretary to the Govt, Of India Tel: 23061623 To, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, (Ms. Leena Nandan, Secretary) Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, Jor Bagh Road, New Delhi. Copy to: CEO, NITI Aayog.